Page 199 of The Alpha

He climbed to his feet. “I am still your… boyfriend.” He said it as if the word was so foreign, that he couldn’t begin to guess its meaning.

She put a hand over her heart. “I feel different.”

He hung his head. “It is the presence of my heart. It is… trying to merge with yours.”

“You said that! Well… what if I don’t want it to?” She took a step back and his face fell.

“Please, don’t be afraid of me.”

She clutched the fabric of her dress over her heart. “I’m… I’m not.”

“You are. But we can fix this.”

“How?”

He got down on one knee again. “Pari, I have frightened you. Please don’t be. I want to get to know you, and for you to know me. I want… to be more than a boyfriend.”

“Yeah, well, you made that clear enough.” Dating was fine, it was slow, but this? It was beginning to freak her out. “I can’t go fast, I’ve done it before, and it’s always been a disaster! I just can’t!”

“Give me time, that’s all I ask. Giveus… time.”

For some reason, she felt empty and wanted the peaceful feeling that started to overtake her to return. But would that give her any answers? She was confused and could feel her old panic begin to rise. Maybe this was all a big mistake. Something was very wrong, but she couldn’t tell what it was. But shouldn’t she give Melvale a chance to make this—whatever it was—right?

“Thirty days,” she said.

He got to his feet. “What?”

“A month. You told Dr. Merrill I’d probably be back in a month. I think… that’s as long as I can stand being away from home.” She swallowed hard. “Then you’ll bring me back.”

He cocked his head. “And if I can give you a reason to stay with me?”

Pari slowly nodded. “Then I’ll stay.” She was acting like a frightened child but didn’t care. This was freaky stuff! She could feel his heart’s presence and wasn’t sure what to make of it. Itwas as if her growing feelings for him had been overshadowed by his heart, and it felt like they were vying for position. The result was, she felt nothing toward him. Only the sense of being disjointed remained, and she didn’t like it. Not. One. Bit.

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Melvale sank onto the bed. Everything was falling apart! This was his fault… no. This was the other blastedside of him’sfault!You and I, Mr. Alpha, are going to have a meeting of the minds.

He looked at Pari, saw the confused look on her face, and fought a sigh. How was he going to fix this in thirty days? By the Creator! How long was it going to take the two sides of him to merge now? His heart acted as a balancer of sorts. But that was gone. There would be no easing between one side of him to the next like the slow up and down of a teeter totter. Now each side would be slammed to the ground without warning, and that, he knew, wasn’t going to be pleasant. And in the midst of all of that, he still had to win her heart? This was like starting all over again!

“I have a gift for you,” he said softly and forced himself to stay on task.

She looked at him with wide eyes, as if she had no idea of who he was, and quite possibly didn’t. “But you’ve already given me so much.”

“I still wanted you to have something to unwrap at the party.” Everyone else had opened their gifts while he and Pariwere ensconced in her bedroom after his Alpha side’s untimely kerfuffle. He left the bed and offered her his hand.

She didn’t take it.

Melvale swallowed hard, forced a smile, and motioned her to follow him into the other room.

In the living room, Shona was sitting on the loveseat leafing through one of Pari’s books. “Will you excuse us, Princess?” Melvale asked.

Shona set the book aside. “Of course.” She smiled at Pari, left the living room and went out the front door to join Dallan who was on guard. Melvale wondered what Pari’s neighbors thought of the Time Master’s constant presence then pushed the thought aside.

He went to the tree and pulled out a brightly wrapped box from beneath it. “Here,” he said and handed it to her.

Pari took it, went to the loveseat, and sat. “What is it?”

“Open it,” he said gently. “And see.” He sat next to her and watched.

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